Where Did He Ride From

Intro
(Fast fiddle and banjo riff kicking in over a driving train beat)
(Spoken with a gritty Southern drawl)
Well, gather 'round the sawdust floor, boys...
Let me tell ya 'bout a ghost that blew through this town.
One, two, a-one, two, three, four!
​[Verse 1]
He rolled into the county on a midnight freight
Dust on his boots and a crooked gait
Had a pale white glare beneath a battered hat
Nobody knew where the stranger was at
He didn't say much, just ordered a rye
And caught every woman's wandering eye
By the time that the rooster started to crow
We were all asking 'bout Cotton-Eyed Joe
​[Chorus]
Oh, where did he ride from, where did he go?
Left a trail of heartbreak down the gravel road
Took the prettiest gal in the whole damn state
Vanished like smoke through the county gate
Yeah, I'd-a been hitched a long time ago
If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eyed Joe!
​[Instrumental Break]
(High-energy duel between blazing Southern fiddle and twangy Telecaster guitar, backed by heavy slap bass and boot-stomping percussion)
​[Verse 2]
Now Billy lost his sweetheart at the Friday dance
Joe gave her one look and she stood no chance
He spun her 'round the floor like a hurricane
Left poor Billy standing in the pouring rain
The sheriff tried to catch him by the river bend
Found a trail of footprints at a dead-end
No horse, no wagon, just a silver spur
And a faded ribbon that belonged to her
​[Chorus]
Oh, where did he ride from, where did he go?
Left a trail of heartbreak down the gravel road
Took the prettiest gal in the whole damn state
Vanished like smoke through the county gate
Yeah, I'd-a been hitched a long time ago
If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eyed Joe!
​[Bridge]
(Music drops down to just a stomping boot beat, clap, and gritty vocal)
Raise your glass to the ramblin' man! (Hey! Hey!)
Slippin' through the fingers like river sand! (Hey! Hey!)
Lock up your daughters when the cold wind blows
'Cause you never hear the footsteps of Cotton-Eyed Joe!
(Fiddle swells back in full force)
​[Guitar & Banjo Solo]
(Fast-paced country chicken-pickin' guitar solo trading bars with rapid banjo rolls)
​[Chorus]
Oh, where did he ride from, where did he go?
Left a trail of heartbreak down the gravel road
Took the prettiest gal in the whole damn state
Vanished like smoke through the county gate
Yeah, I'd-a been hitched a long time ago
If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eyed Joe!
​[Outro]
(Full band stomping, gang vocals shouting in the background)
Where did he come from? (Nobody knows!)
Where did he go? (Down the gravel road!)
Yeah, I'd-a been hitched a long time ago
If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eyed Joe!
(Final blazing fiddle lick and abrupt stop)